Stick Around – Play and Create iPad Puzzles

Stick Around is a new iPad app developed by Tony Vincent and Morris Cooke (the developer of the popular Explain Everything app). Stick Around gets its name of the sticker element of the app. The app contains educational puzzles that students solve by dragging stickers into the correct locations on the puzzles. The puzzles are essentially matching activities that can be customized by the teachers. The best aspect of the app is that teachers can create their own puzzles.

Stick Around contains eight sample puzzles. The sample puzzles can actually be played by students, but they seem to be included more as models of what teachers can create with the app. To create a puzzle in Stick Around start by selecting a puzzle format (columns, timeline, sequencing, size arrangement, Venn diagram). After choosing a format you can import a picture or draw a background for the puzzle. The puzzle is then built on top of your chosen background. Write your question and place them on the puzzle. Your answer key is created by creating stickers that your students will have to drag into place on your puzzle. The process wasn’t as intuitive as I thought it would be so I reverted to watching the built-in instructional screencast in order to understand how the puzzles came together.

Stick Around could be a great app for creating educational puzzles for your students to use as review exercises. I especially like the potential to create geography puzzles on the app.

Overall, the app has good features for students and teachers. My wish for a future enhancement is an option to give students instant feedback on puzzle completion progress. Currently, it seems that the only feedback that can be given is “puzzle correct” or “puzzle incorrect.” I would like to see students be able to get feedback like, “six of eight parts correct, correct these two parts.”

2 Responses to “Stick Around – Play and Create iPad Puzzles”

Thanks, Richard, for writing about Stick Around! We will certainly be making refinements and adding features (especially when it comes to the puzzle feedback).

I think the most powerful use of Stick Around is for students to design, play, and share their very own puzzles. The process of creating a puzzle helps students prioritize and reinforce their learning.

We’re just getting started, but we already have a Pinterest board that’s beginning to fill with downloadable puzzles. These puzzles might be inspiration for teacher and student made projects: http://www.pinterest.com/stickaroundapp